Comedy, said WC Fields, is a serious business. And there are some Doctor Who fans – the ones who measure comedy by quantity (“Too many jokes!”), as opposed to whether it’s funny or not – who would agree it’s no laughing matter.

For most of us, though, Doctor Who’s refusal to take itself too seriously is one of the things that makes it so cherished, especially when so much sci-fi/fantasy is prone to flatulent pomposity.

Ever since the arrival of Dennis Spooner as story editor in 1965 – to be followed by a succession of gag-merchants from Robert Holmes and Douglas Adams to sitcom writers like Steven Moffat and Richard Curtis – the show has been shot through with an anarchic wit and love of wordplay that makes Monty Python or Blackadder arguably more relevant touchstones than Asimov or Tolkien.

In the early 1980s, producer John Nathan- Turner famously took a large blue pencil to Douglas Adams’ “undergraduate humour” and declared it was time for Doctor Who to get serious again – then almost immediately cast one of Britain’s leading sitcom actors in the lead role.

In fact, Peter Davison juggled recording his early Doctor Who serials with starring roles in two comedies – Sink or Swim, about a pair of mismatched northern brothers living in London, and Holding the Fort, in which he played a stay-at-home husband and father (a simply hilarious notion in 1980). On days when he rehearsed Doctor Who in the mornings before dashing over to a sitcom taping in the afternoon, there must have times when he didn’t know if he was supposed to be saving the planet or warming a bottle (with Adric around, maybe it didn’t matter).

About Doctor Who Magazine

THE TENTH DOCTOR AND ROSE ARE BACK! ISSUE 518 OF DOCTOR WHO MAGAZINE CHATS EXCLUSIVELY TO DAVID TENNANT AND BILLIE PIPER
Over a decade on from their time together in the TARDIS, David Tennant and Billie Piper are back for a series of Doctor Who audio adventures featuring the Tenth Doctor and Rose...
“An audio recording’s very different to filming a bit of TV – but the vibe is the same, and the characters are the same.” (David Tennant)
“It’s like when you hang out with an old friend who you haven’t seen for years, and then loads of stuff has happened between you, but it’s sort of just like you’re immediately there again. I love it.” (Billie Piper)
ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE…
MATT LUCAS
We talk to Matt Lucas about his new autobiography, which he wrote while playing Nardole in the latest series of Doctor Who.
CAMILLE CODURI
Camille Coduri, who played Jackie Tyler, tells us what it’s like to be reunited with David Tennant and Billie Piper for more Doctor Who audio adventures.
SYLVESTER McCOY
In the second part of our interview, Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy reflects on Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary and looks forward to the show’s future.
WHITE WITCH OF DEVIL’S END
We meet the people behind a DVD sequel to the classic 1971 story The Dæmons.
BOX OF DELIGHTS
An interview with Paul Foden, the fan whose home-made TARDIS recently appeared on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces: Shed of the Year.
MATILDUS
A brand-new comic strip adventure for the Doctor and Bill in Matildus, written and illustrated by Scott Gray.
THE TIME TEAM
The Time Team continues its mission to watch every episode of Doctor Who with 2011’s The Rebel Flesh.
PLUS...
Previews, book and audio reviews, news, the Watcher’s column, prize-winning competitions and much, much more!